91st day, again.
The abundant sunlight rained down on the morning city. Merchants were making their first trades of the day, mothers of families bought their ingredients for the noon and night, guards paid attention or played card, most likely. Everyone minded their own business and lived their lives.
As for the young mage, he climbed down the carriage and paid respect to the coachman, then gazed around him, admiring the stalls, shops, and the few street vendors. This place was the Wasp Fountain, situated at the western entrance of the city, just beside the barracks of soldiers, and it was the rallying point of many travelers thanks to the Blue Whale's inn, a more refined place than the average.
Ortenz quickly wrote something in his notebook, then cast once again his eyes on his surroundings. He had no time to spare and a busy schedule; hence Amaranth's beauty could wait after Ortenz finished his few purchases, which shouldn't take much time, he hoped.
He searched for signs to guide himself but didn't ask citizens for help as Ortenz preferred limiting his social interactions when possible: a bizarre behavior that he earned from months of solitude, from which he discovered that most people wasted time by uselessly repeating or misremembering things; and that, in general, peoples were not as useful as one could think.
Anyway, the young man examined the signs, and after a few seconds, found the one he wanted: the Fos Fountain also called The Merchant' Square, according to the little, barely visible indications on the sign.
“Okay, so… This direction.”
Ortenz weaved his way between the crowd and put his hand on his purse, eyeing it from time to time, as to make sure it was still there. He also involuntarily glanced at some ominously smiling people waiting in dark alleys between buildings, who were murmuring to each other as they pointed to some travelers or citizens, and laughed silently.
Even if many aspects of cities didn't appeal to Ortenz, he smiled nonetheless. It had only been a few weeks since Ortenz had set foot in what could be truly called a city, and he was finally walking again on something other than neglected dirt paths and poorly assembled paved roads.
"I maybe need to replace my shoes..." Ortenz's ragged shoes had seen more rocks than any miners, and the dented soles were only attached thanks to the mercy of the gods, but the young mage was skeptical: had he enough money to buy everything on his list?
His list was by no means long and only had a few items, but shoes were expensive as they needed to be waterproof and resistant enough to go through harsh environments and rocky mountains. Or even worse: uncaring adventurers. Ortenz himself wasn't very kind toward his equipment, not out of negligence, but more out of poverty, as maintaining one's armor and weapons was costly.
Ortenz has finally arrived at the Fos fountain. The stone structure, high of five meters and large of ten, towered everyone around, so much that even the buildings surrounding it appeared ridiculous. Children were playing near it, chasing each other as they ran through the crowds of bystanders observing the different shops, and each time one caught another, he yelled, "You're the wolf!" But Ortenz quickly noticed nobody paid any attention to them, as if they were an everyday occurrence.
The name Merchant' square wasn't a lie, and this fountain truly outshined the Wasp one in every aspect, which despite its successful inn, couldn't compare to the grandiose display offered here: performers practicing various activities, shiny-armored knights, shops with glinting storefronts and displays. Everything was either polished, smooth, or outlined with gold, so much that Ortenz felt out of place with his decrepit shoes and re-sewed robe.
It, of course, wasn't the first time he stepped into such rich surroundings, but it did was the first he hadn't prepared for such and felt a bit ashamed. He once again took a look at his purse and mumbled, "I'm sorry, buddy."
Ortenz stepped inside The Wise Wanderer, a little shop slightly more humble than the other. The tattered sign with the shop's name along with the lackluster paint on the door was not what Ortenz would call appealing, but the prices indicated on the objects behind the glass panel of the storefront were the lowest around, so he wanted to, at least, give it a chance. It wouldn't be the first time old shops were unexpectedly the best around.
"Hello," said a baryton voice coming from the end of the room. The shop wasn't lit, except for the rays of light coming from the front window, which illuminated only half of the room, leaving the other side bathed in darkness. Wood creaked, and Ortenz saw a tall figure walking toward him. "I am deeply sorry for the lack of lighting. They broke yesterday, but I will swiftly arrange something."
As he advanced, more of his silhouette became lit, first his legs, covered by a leather apron, then his torso, also covered by the apron with underneath it a white shirt with folded sleeves.
Despite coming closer, his head was still in darkness, and Ortenz couldn't discern his facial features. The tall man stretched his hand to Ortenz, who shook it. "Hello. I am Lus Jenam, owner of The Wise Wanderer." The man then slightly turned to the right and grabbed a metallic object, which lit up as he turned it on.
Ortenz's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped at the sight of Lus. The man was leaning forward, bent forty-five degrees, just enough that his head barely brushed against the ceiling, which Ortenz found strangely high, approaching three meters. The rest of his body could only be described as a bookcase: squared shoulders, ripped arms, a large torso, and legs thick as trunks.
But despite this mountain of a man, this force of nature, champion of evolution, the man’s face only emanated calm and friendliness. His bovine nose and dropping eyes left no place for any aggressivity, a sentiment only amplified by the slight smile he always adorned and the glitter in his gaze.
"I am truly sorry about this inconvenience," said Lus as he went to the counter and put the lantern on it. "What can I do for you?" he added with a smile.
Ortenz stepped forward and reached the counter. "As you can see my shoes are in poor shape, and I wanted to take a look at what you would have." His eyes squinted at the shelves and crate as he went on, "I would prefer something made of leather, but if the tip of the shoes could be enforcer with metal it would be perfect."
Lus silently nodded and knelt beside a crate; after rummaging through it for a few seconds, he took out a pair of boots and showed them to Ortenz. "Those should be good." The pristine leather boots were reinforced with thin a metal plate at the front and thick soles. "They are perfect for hiking, or kicking," he added as he tapped the metal. Lus put the boots on the counter for Ortenz to examine.
The young mage smiled and nodded mutiple times as he examined the boots, tested the soles, touched the interior, and inspected the finishes; finally, he put them back down on the counter and took his purse. "How much?"
Lus hummed and duster the counter with his hand. "Four silver coins." The young mage groaned. "What about three silver? The leather is patched up on the inside." Lus squinted his eyes and stifled a laugh. "Haha. Indeed. But three silver is too low. Four silver,” he smiled.
Ortenz handed the coins and took off his boots. "Do you have ink?"
"Yes, I do. A flask or smaller?" Lus turned around and barely lifted his arms to reach a shelf with many bottles, pitchers, and flasks. "It depends on the price. I'm a bit..." Ortenz adjusted his new boots and put his on the counter.
Lus laughed again. "I see, I see. Ink indeed became expensive recently. I wonder why." He put down a small black flask the size of a finger on the counter. Ortenz's eyebrows rose. "You do not know? In the west, mages are trying to write magic circles on scrolls, and they need a lot of ink for tests."
Lus nodded. "I see. One silver."
"Here, and I wanted to ask. I arrived today, is there any news I should know?" Ortenz tucked away the flask and strolled around the shop, looking at the shelves and crates.
Lus took Ortenz boots and quickly examined them, then laid down seven copper coins on the counter. "Is there any news?" he asked himself. "Ah, yes! I heard the second daughter of the count was kidnapped a few days ago."
Ortenz immediately turned around and picked up the seven coins. “Who would be stupid enough to do that?"
Lus shrugged. "I do not know, but apparently, there's no ransom demand, so the guards are tensed lately."
He went on. "There's also an upsurge in small offenses, especially theft. If you intend to spend some days here, I would suggest you be prudent at night."
Ortenz nodded. "Thank you. One last thing: what is the price of a battle robe?"
Lus turned his head to garment racks and got to them. His hand brushed the different fabrics. "What do you want? The cheapest one, which I wouldn't recommend, is five silver coins." He turned to a different rack. "But if you truly want some defense, then I suggest these, weaved from special materials, but... The price is also special."
Lus took a small price tag hanging from one of the robes, and Ortenz recoiled when he saw it. "I... don't have enough,” he said as he scratched his head. Lus bowed and refrained a small laugh. "Ha—It's perfectly okay. Come back when you have more, and then I will be sure to show you the best ones."
"Thank you. I will now be on my way." Ortenz stepped out of the shop as he waved his hand.
